Privacy Speeds Patient Recovery
If you were booking a room at a hotel or
renting a car, would you be surprised if you arrived to find that
you were expected to share your room or your car with a complete
stranger?
Of course you would. Why is it, then, that a
hospital stay should be any different? Shared rooms are the norm at
most hospitals nationwide, but at St. Mary Medical Center in Long
Beach all acute care patients have the benefit of private rooms for
inpatient
stays.
Hospitals with semi-private rooms maintain
that shared accommodations help to save the hospital money in
construction, operating costs and upgrades. But St. Mary and other
progressive hospitals across the country are demonstrating that
efficiency and cost-savings are increased in private room only
facilities. "Private rooms, which are standard at St. Mary, are
preferable for many reasons," notes Barry Heller, M.D., Vice
President of Medical Affairs at the hospital. "Private rooms cut
down on infection rates. They also allow us to be in adherence with
the stringent privacy guidelines set forth by the Health Insurance
Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). These are impossible to
enforce in shared rooms, where roommates are privy to conversations
of a personal nature. Additionally, patients enjoy a more restful
stay with us, allowing them to recuperate more quickly."
St. Mary seems to be on to something. The
American Institute of Architects and the Facility Guidelines have
revised their Guidelines for Design and Construction of Hospital
and Health Care Facilities to advocate private rooms as the
standard in all new hospital construction. This reference is
utilized by more than 40 states and the Joint Commission on
Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations to license or accredit
healthcare facilities nationwide. Numerous recent studies (1) have
evaluated the benefits of private versus semi-private rooms in
hospitals. The findings of these studies point to private rooms
being better for the patient and cost-effective for the hospital in
the long run. Studies have found that medication errors are common
in facilities with more than one patient in a room. Staff can
easily mix up which medication goes to which patient, potentially
triggering a life-threatening interaction or reaction. Medication
errors account for a large number of otherwise-unnecessary medical
treatments, as well as lawsuits filed by family members who are
rightfully angry at the hospital error. (2)
Patients in shared rooms are less likely to be
open about their condition with hospital staff, and get less rest
than those in private rooms. Unwanted intrusions such as the
television, telephone or visitors to the other patient cause
unnecessary stress. It has been demonstrated that stress increases
blood pressure, and contributes to longer overall hospital stays.
If patients can maintain better control over their recovery
environment, stress levels are lowered and hospital stays are
shortened. "Probably the most important reason for hospitals
to move toward all private rooms is to decrease the overall rate of
infection," points out Dr. Heller. "Studies have shown that the
rate of cross infection is much higher in facilities where patients
share close quarters. By isolating all patients, you immediately
lower the risk of infection, saving money for the patient, the
insurer and the hospital, in medication costs, length of stay and
procedures." St. Mary's offers public tours of their private room
facilities in an effort to help patients choose a hospital for
their
inpatient stay. For more information, call 1-888-4STMARY.
(1) Studies from the American Institute of
Architects and the Facility Guidelines Institute (January-February
2005, Inside ASHE.)
(2) 2002 Annual Report, National Practitioner
Data Bank, US DHHS
SMMC Infection Rates Lower Than the National Average
A recent article published in the Los Angeles
Times stated that hospital infection rates are up sharply in the
Los Angeles area.
According to the article, in the first four
months of 2005, hospitals have recorded 18 infectious outbreaks,
compared with seven for the same period last year. These 18
outbreaks sickened 196 patients according to the health department.
Hospital-acquired infection is a serious nationwide concern that
sickens about 2 million patients annually, killing 90,000.1
Some hospitals do a better job at controlling
infection than others. St. Mary Medical Center in Long Beach
routinely records infection rates significantly below the national
and city-wide averages. Last year, the national outbreak average
for hospitals was 9.6 percent, while St. Mary's overall infection
rate was about 6 percent. In one particular unit at St. Mary, the
infection rate recorded for the first half of 2005 stands at only
1.86 percent. According to Barry Heller, M.D., Vice President of
Medical Affairs at St. Mary, "Greater control over infectious
outbreaks and fewer outbreaks overall can be attributed to a
variety of hospital precautions, but the biggest factor in St.
Mary's success is that all rooms in the hospital are private. This
limits the opportunity for cross-infection between patients, and
also allows physicians and staff the opportunity to properly
disinfect their hands between patients." Hospitals are not
currently required to disclose infection rates to consumers, though
there are current efforts underway to legislate some form of
required disclosure, which will allow consumers to make informed
decisions when choosing a hospital for an inpatient stay. Dr.
Heller concludes, "Until reporting is compulsory for all hospitals,
touring a facility, asking questions about infection rates and
choosing a facility with private rooms are the patient's best
chance of avoiding hospital-acquired infections."
(1) Los Angeles Times, "Infections at
Hospitals Are Up Sharply," May 22, 2005
Keep Loved Ones Near During Hospital Stays in our VIP Suites
The complete well-being of patients is the
primary concern at St. Mary Medical Center. That is why St. Mary
offers "VIP Suites" for patient stays, which boast an attached room
where family members can sleep, allowing them to stay with the
patient for the duration of his or her stay. Having loved ones
nearby decreases patient stress, and allows family members to avoid
the stress of long drives to and from the hospital during their
patient's stay. The attached room allows everyone -- patient
and family members alike -- to focus solely on the recovery of
the patient. These suites are available to Platinum Members of the
Senior Center and VIPs of the St. Mary Medical Center
Foundation.
"The VIP Program came about as a way for St.
Mary to continue to provide the kind of personalized care that St.
Mary is known for – not just for patients, but for their
families as well," pointed out John Wagner, President of the SMMC
Foundation. "By offering these VIP Suites, we're allowing families
to stay together during extremely difficult times. The benefactors
of the Foundation have made a great effort to develop the VIP
program as a way to continue to progress the mission of care that
St. Mary was built on."
The SMMC Foundation is the philanthropic arm
of St. Mary Medical Center. It provides benefactors with a variety
of programs through which they can support the hospital.
Benefactors can attain VIP status with the Foundation by making
gifts of $500 or more annually. Platinum members of the St. Mary
Senior Center also give $500 annually and enjoy VIP benefits. For
more information about becoming a Foundation VIP, please call
562-491-9225. For more information about the benefits associated
with membership at the Senior Center, call 562-491-9811.
